Garage-door construction



1930- w.-n. FERRIS 1,787,238

v GARAGE DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed April 27, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 gs l krm's v w. D. FERRIS mama noon cous'muc'rlou Filed April 1928 3 Sheets-shat 2 Dec. 30, 1930. w. D. Fem- 1s .2

' mums noon cons'mucriou m'ea April 27, 1928 mama-sum. a

atented Dec. 30, 1930 Ares PA ENT oF FIi i W LIAM n. FEImIs, or srnRLINs, ILLINo s, AssIGNo t 'ro FRANTZ MANUFACTURING 00., or STERLING, ILLINOIS, A ooRron TIoN on LLINOIS GARAGE-DOOR CONSTRUCTION Application filed April'27,

This invention relates to garage doors, and 'moreparticularly to doors of this kind comprising sliding sections that are hinged 'together and provided with hangers that travel 5 onan overhead track, and having a swinging door section hinged to one-of the sliding door sections.

Generally stated, theobject of, the invention'is to provide a novel and improved construction and arrangement whereby the; said swinging'door section-is also supported, in

opening and closing the doorstructure, preventing the swinging door section from set forth and claimed and'shown inthe ac companying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 1s a plan view of a garage-door construction involving the principles of the 1na 30 vention, showing the wall of the building inv horizontal section. V

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view showingthe connectionof the Y swinging door and one of the'hangers, showing the parts in one position.

. Fig.3 is a similar view, showing the, parts in differentpositions. o I Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the said garage-door construction, looking at the same from inside the building. Q Fig. 5 is a fragment of the'structure shown in Fig. 54, showing the'swinging door partially open. r Fig. 6'is an enlarged detail plan view of an extensible link connection between the spe- 1928. Serial No. 273,168.

cial hanger for the swinging door section, and one ,ofthe hangers for the sliding door sections. i

Fig. 7 is an enlarged front elevation of the special hanger for the swinging door'section.

Fig. 8 is a detail horizontal sectional view,

showing a difierent form of theinvention.

Fig. 9 is a detail fragmentary view,showing another form of the invention.

. Fig.10 is an enlarged front elevation'of thespecial hanger shown in Fig. 9,-with a portionthereof in vertical section.

Fig. 11 is a front elevation of the construe tion shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 12 is a detail view form-of the invention. 1 I y As thus illustrated, and referring to Figs. 1

showing another to 7, inclusive, it will be seen that the door bend 9 that connects it with the track or housing 10 on the side wall of the building, it being understood that this track and housing can be of any suitable known orapproved construction. In other Words, the track has a' straight section disposed over the doorway,

a straight section disposed in thesame plane on the side wall of the building, and a curved section connecting the two straight sections- With this constructiomthe hangers 6 and 7,

and the similar hanger 11 for the door section --1, may travel freely along the straight section 8 and then along the curved section 9, and then along the straight section 10, when it is desired to open the door structure in the well known manner.

.The swinging door section 4 is ordinarily provided with a lock notshown) for lock in closed position. When unlocked,

this swinging door section-4 .can be opened to permit entrance to the garage or building, and the entire doorstructure can then he moved-around, as stated, until the entire doorway is open, it being understood that the section is of suflicient length for this purpose.

As shown in Figs. l'to 7, inclusive, the special hanger 12 is provided to travel within and upon said housing and track, this hanger havingra lower portion 13- connected by an adjustable or extensible link 14 with the swivel rod 15 of the hanger 7, as shown... By.

means of..the:bolts16 and the slots 17 in this link,'its length can be varied to suit the requirementsof differentc'a'se's. It willbe seen that oneend of the link is pivoted by a pivot 18 on'one end ofthe portion 13 previously mentioned. The door section 4::i's provided with a latch bolt 19, as shown more clearly in Figs.2 and 3, having its upper end-formed to engage and disengage thelow'er portion 13 V ofthe special'hanger. This latch bolt has acoiled spring 20 to keep it normally in raised position, and the lower, end of the 'bolt has a chain or pull cord, or other connection 21, by

V which the bolt 1 may be pulled down.

Assuming that the door structure is in closed position, the'mode of operation is as follows: f V .7 The swingingdoor section 4 will be unlocked, and will be pushed inwardly'to cause the upper end portion'of the bolt 19 to be {depressed and pass below-the portion 13, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 ofthe-drawings. Thereafter, when the bolt 19 has passed out-from under the portion 13, and is then in raised -position,shown-in full lines in'Fig. 3, I the door section4'willlthenbe-pulled out-ward until thebolt 19 is in engagement with the be moved in the direction necessaryto fully" open thedoorway of thegarage orbuilding. This isdone without the door section 4 being free to flap or swing around in'a manner that might interfere with the'free and easy open 'ing of the'door structure. Thereafter, when :itis desired to again close thedoor structure,

the three sections are moved around into position to v close the doorway, as shown inFig l ofthe drawiliggthe section 4 islthen pulled inwardly until the1bolt19 has disengaged the portion 13, and the pull chain or cord 21 is then pulled downward to depress the bolt 19 intoposition-to pass under the portion 13, and

with the bolt in this depressed position the door :sec'tion 4 is then swung outward into clos d iposition and the swinging section'isj thenv locked, thus locking the 'Eentire door structure in closed position.

l i As shown in Figs; 8 and 11, the swinging door section 4 is not providedwitha special hanger, but is provided witha caster 22, and V the floor of the lOlllldlIig'lS provided with a curved channel track 23to receive thiscaster. Thus the entire door structure canbe opened in the manner described, but inthis case the swinging door section 4is controlled by the floor track 23,.in which the caster 22 travels,

thus guiding the section 4 and preventing it 7 from fiapping or swinging'around. :It will be understood that. the track 23 isdirectly below the overhead track, in this form ofthe inventlon, practically, so that thedoor sec:

tions 9 will "all haveex'actly the same path of travelintheoperation of opening and clos- .ing the doorstructure.

As shown in Figs. 9 doorsection 4 has :a special'hanger 24, but

this hanger is not connected to any of the other hangers. Instead, this hanger 24 is simply provided'with friction portions 25]:

that engage the bottom of the overhead track,

and thus frictionally hold ,this'hanger: inany V position Where it is left,- after it isdisengaged from the swinging door section; The special hanger 24 has a lower portion 26 foreng'age soy and 10, the swinging ment with the latch bolt 27, which latter is similar 'tojthe one previously described, and V the operation here is I substantially the same as that described in'connection with Figs. 1 to 7' of the drawings. 'But, as stated, the

hanger 24 is not connected to the next hanger? in any way, but depends upon the friction devices 25 to hold it in positionito engage the latch bolt 27, in the opening and-closingxof the door structure. 3 V r I I It Wlll be seen,,th'erefore-, 'that'in each form of the invention, means are provided for controlling the swinging door section and for.

preventing it 'from flapping or 1 swinging aroundwhen the door sectionsaremovedout of the doorway and around to the side of the building. i In other words, theswinging door sectionis not allowed to swing freelyback and forth, but, to the-contrary,,is'supported and controlled to travel around in thes'ame path of travel as the other door sections, and the swinging door section only has a capacity forswinging movement inwardly, and only i at a time whenihe sliding doorsections. are in closed position. As soon as the sliding door sections are out "of. closedposition, to

any extent whatever, the swinging door sec tion is then no longer free to swing, but is at such time practically a sliding-door section. In each form of the invention," therefore, thereis a special wheeled support for the free side of the swinging .doorsectiom and-a track section for" engagement with said, wheeled support. .When "the {swinging door .is under the control of its specialwheeledsupport, in

each form of the invention, it is then operative to slide and move ineflfeot likeasliding section; In each form of theinvention, the

- wardly, after being unlocked, only when the sliding section to which it is hinged is in fully closed position.

With further respect to Figs. 9 and 10, it will beunderstood that the track and housing 8 can be so formed that the friction means will only function at a certain point in the path of travel of the hanger, namely at the point where it is left when the door is disengaged from the hanger, whereby the hanger will slide freely along all other portions of the track and housing.

In Fig. 12 of the drawings, the latch 28 is pivoted at 29 on the locking bolt 19, in a slot 30 in said bolt.

is attached to the latch 28, as shown, and ini The pull cord or chain 21 itial downward pull will disengage this latch from the hanger body 13, so that the door can be disengaged from the hanger, and

a further downward pull will then pull the' bolt 19 downward far enough to enable it to pass under the hanger body.

lVithout disclaiming anything, and with out prejudice to any novelty disclosed, what I claim as my invention is:

V 1. In sliding door construction for a garage or other buildingthe combination of one or more sliding door sections, an inwardly swingingdoor section hinged to one side edge of a sliding door section to swing free of control when the sliding door struc.

ture is in closed position, an overhead track section above the doorway, an overhead track section on'the side wall of the building, a curved track section connecting the said two tracks together, traveling means to support the doorstructure on said track sections, so that the entire door structure can be moved out of the doorway and around the curve and into a position at the side of the building, and guiding instrumentalities serving to prevent any swinging movement of this door section during the sliding move ment of the door structure on said side wall track, said instrumentalities having engagement with the swinging door at a. point thereon a distance from the hinge support thereof, holding the swinging door section to' its course.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said instrumentalities including means whereby the swinging door section has connection with and disconnection from a track section, whereby the swinging door sectlon 15.

supported and guided in effect like a sliding section.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said instrumentalities comprising a special wheeled support having means for supporting the side of the swinging door that swings open to permit entrance into the building, said wheeled support engaging a track section to prevent the swinging door section from flapping or swinging around in the operation of sliding the sectional door structure into open position. Y

' 4'. "A structure as specified in claim 1,said instrumentalities having means normally disconnected from but operative to connect ing door section hinged thereto, adapted to swing inward, free of control, while the sliding section remains stationary in closed position, forming the leading section when the doors slide open, and instrumentalities having means operative to control and prevent the swinging door section from flapping or swinging around during the sliding movement necessary to fully open the sectional door structure, said instrumentalities having engagement with the swinging door at a point thereon a distance from the hinge support thereof, holding the swinging door section to its course.

6. A structure as specified in claim 5, said instrumentalities comprising a special wheeled support having means for supporting the free side of the swinging door section, together with a track section to engage said wheeled support.

7. A structure as specified in claim 5, comprising a track, said sliding door section ture is opened, whereby the front edge of said swinging door section is held to its course. I

9. A structure as specified in claim 5, said swinging door section and instrumentalities leading when the doors slide open.

10. In door construction, a swinging door, an overhead vertically reciprocating bolt on I said door, having means limiting the upward movement thereof on the door, an overhead support, means on said bolt resting on said support, when the door is in one position and the bolt is in its extreme upward position, thereby supporting the door in said position, and means to reciprocate said bolt.

11. A structure as specified in claim 10, comprising a pivoted catch on said bolt engaging said support and disengageable therefrom by said bolt operating means.

12. In door construction, a swinging door, an overhead bolt on said door, a support, means on said bolt resting on said support, thereby supporting the door, and means to operate said bolt, with a pivoted catch on said bolt engaging said support and disengageabletherefromby said bolt' operating 7 13; A structure as specified in claim 12; said boltirsbeing movable downward into position to pass under said support when said doorismovedn 7' Specification signed this: 14th day of Ap 928,. V. w a j j j WILLIAM D. FERRIS, 

